Clutch.



A. B. MORSE.

CLUTCH.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB.21,1912.

Patented June 10, 1913.

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A. B. MORSE.

CLUTCH.

APPLICATION IILED YEB.21,1012. T

Patented June 10, 1913.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 10, 1911.3.

Application filed February 21, 1912. Serial No. 679,150.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, ALFRED B. Mouse, acitizen of the United States, and resident of South Easton, Bristolcounty, State of ll/Iassachusetts, have invented an Improvement inClutches, of which the following description, in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawingsrepresenting like parts.

This invention relates to clutches and, while having other and moregeneral fields of usefulness, is especially designed for use inconnection with high speed motors for operating automobiles, or otherpurposes where there is special need for a clutch which is not onlypositive, durable, and long lived,

but free running at all times, and which does not require adjustment orattention excepting at very long intervals.

An important feature of the invention has to do with an improvedconstruction of friction clutch plates or disks, whereby theeiiectiveness and length of service thereof is materially increased by anovel provision which at the same time avoids liability to distortion ofthe clutch plates in use and provides for a proper distribution oflubricant between the coacting surfaces.

It is an important feature of my present invention to providea-plurality of alternating friction disks so that provision shall bemade to allow each alternate disk to one pand and contract duringvarying degrees of heat and cold, and yet to form said disks with therequisite strength necessary for the severe strain to which theyaresubjected. I accomplish this desirable result by having radial slots inthe alternate disk members of my improved clutch, whilch slots, however,extend only as far, or substantially as far as the overlapping of thealternate disk to be engaged with said radially slit disk. By arrangingthe disks of my improved clutch in this manner with an overlappingportion, I am enabled to have provision for the expansion andcontraction just mentioned, where the same is most needed, viz., on theoverlapping or contacting part of the friction disks.

The above and other objects of the invention will be better understoodfrom the following detailed description, in connection with theaccompanying drawings, wherein I have illustrated the novel features inconnection with the type of clutch mechanism shown in my Patent No.1,016,427, patented liebruary 6, 1912; it being understood that thisparticular embodiment of the features of novelty is merely for thepurpose of illustrating the invention and in no way restrictive thereof.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical longitudinalsection of the clutch mechanism; Fig; 2 is a transverse sectional detailof a portion of the internal mechanism, approximately on line 2---2 ofFig. '1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view, taken at the front side of theclutch, with the cover removed; and Figs. 1 and 5 are detail elevations,showing the forms of the co-acting clutch plates.

The general construction of the clutch mechanism illustrated is similarto that of my said patent, and comprises an outer part "formed as aheavy plate 1, preferably peripherally enlarged at 2 to constitute afly-wheel, an annular rim 3 bolted to said lly-wheel at 4;, and a frontplate 5 bolted to the rim at (l, and herein shown as provided with apacking gland 7 to bear on the movable sleeve 8, which actnates theclutch by means of a spring 80, and any usual forked or other actuatinglever (not shown) connected to a collar 9, shown as provided withballbearings 10 to engage a flange 11 of said sleeve. Next to the sideor face 1 of the clutch easing, a plate or casting 12 is mounted, havinga smooth friction face 13 and preferably containing an annular recess14; to receive the heads of bolts 15 provided for securing the outerpart of the clutch to the engine connection in well known manner. Therim 3 is provided with a preferably integral spider or wcblike frame 16extending from the inner wall thereof about midway from the edges of therim, said frame 16 being provided with holes 17 in alinement withsimilar holes 18 in the plate 12 and in said holes are mounted heavypins 19, which extend into and snugly fit recesses 20 provided thereforin the inner face of the side 1 of the casing, said pins havingshoulders 21 fitting against the outer edge of the holes 18 to hold thecasting or plate 12 snugly in place, and shoulders 22 fitting againstthe adjacent edge of the holes 17 to hold the pins immovable when theparts are all clamped together. On these pins are loosely mounted aseries of plane, vannular friction plates 23, free to slide lengthwiseof the pins 19 and held against relative rotary movement by said pins.Cooperating with these friction plates 23 and disposed in alternationtherewith, are a series of friction plates or disks 24 centrallyapertured, and provided with notches 25, as best seen in Fig. 2, fittingloosely over longitudinal ribs or projections 26 which extend radiallyfrom atransmission block or hub 27, which has an angular axial opening28, shown as square, to fit on to the similarly squared end v29 of thepower transmission shaft 30, which transmits the power to the drivinggear of the vehicle.

A ball bearing ring 31 is held between shoulders 32 and 33, providedrespectively on said hub and the inner hublike central portion of thecasting 12, and a similar ball bearing ring 34 is held between a similarshoulder 35 on said hub 27 and the shoulder 36; of the outwardly turnedflange 37 of a sleeve 38, on which the actuating sleeve 8 slides, saidflange 37 being secured to the inner edge of the web or frame 16 bybolts 39. The friction disks at one end of the series bear against theflat bearing face 13 of the plate 12, while at the other end of theseries they are engaged by a clamping ring 40, from which project pairsof cars 41, three of said pairs being herein shown, as best seen in Fig.3, preferably :strongly braced by ribs 42-, the internal frame or web 16being cut away to permit these ears and ribs to project forward thedesired distance, and in these ears are pivoted at 43 clamping levers,whose long arms 44 extend inwardly, preferably as near the center aspossible to a position approximately tangent of the sleeve 38, andhaving out turned fiat ends 45 to be engaged by the blocklike heavy end46 of the movable clutch-lever actuator sleeve 8. The short arms 47 onthe other hand, are made as short as possible, so as to get as stronga'leverage, and hence friction,

on the cotiperating friction plates 23, 24, as may be attained. Theseshort arms 47 of the clamping levers bear on the inner face of arelatively stationary gear ring 48. This ring .not only constitutes thebearing point for the clamping levers, but is the main portion of theadjusting mechanism, and to this end is made adjustable transversely ofthe clutch by a threaded engage- 'ment at 49 with the inner rim face ofthe casing, said ring 48 being provided with internal gear teeth 50which are engaged b a pinion 51, whose shaft 52 passes throng a packinggland 53 to the outside of the front face or casing wall 5, where saidshaft has a squared end 54 forreceiving a socket wrench wheneveradjustment of the clutch is required.

The construction of the illustrative form of clutch shown having beendescribed, the

novel features of the present invention and the manner 1n which they areincorporated in the form of clutch shown will now be tent of thislateral face engagement between the plates 23, 24 being best shown inFig.

2. It has been found in practice that with the outer casing carryingplates 23 formed as described in my said patent, there is a tendency forthese plates to warp and buckle to an extent so that they are materiallydis torted and prevented from most effective coiiperation with theplates 24 this buckling and distortion is for the reason that the activeor inner portions of the plates 23, which are in frictional engagementwith the plates 24, become more or less highly heated and therefore themetal in this portion of Y the plates expands, While the metal'in theouter peripheral portion of said plates being inactive and notfrictionally engaged, remains relatively cool, and the tendency toexpansion of the inner portions being thus resisted by the outer or rimportions of the plates, the result is that the buckling and thedistortion mentioned follow to a greater or less extent, and so,muoh asto interfere with the most successful operation of theclutch. To preventthis buckling and warping of the plates, they are formed by the presentimprovements with a series of slots or recesses, spaced around theplates and extending from the central opening thereof out well towardthe outer periphery, or substantially across the zone of frictionalengagement. As shown, three of these slots, designated 55, are formed ineach of the plates 23, these slots extending radially of the plates, andto the outer circumference of the plates 24, when the parts are inassembled relation, or a little beyond the same as seen in Fig. 2.

It will be observed that the plates 23 are relatively wide, so thatthere is a continuous band of stock beyond the slots, of sufiicient sizeand strength to carry the load so that the provision of the slots 55does not weaken the structure, or reduce its power transmitoutresistance and without causing any tendarmy to warp the plates, as wouldbe the case f there were no provislonto accommodate the increased massof the metal as it becomes heated. In addition to this prime function ofthese slots 55 they also serve a furtherand likewise important functionin actingas oil distributers to permit lubricant to flow in between theco-acting frictional surfaces and be evenly distributed over all partsthereof, it being understood that the active clutch portions arepreferably run in oil. In the illustrative clutch shown, the inclosedcasing within which the clutch plates are fitted is tilled with a supplyof oil through an aperture it; closed by a threaded plug 57. To preventleaks of oil through this inlet supply aperture, should the plug 57 notbe tightly seated, and especially by the driving action of centrifugalforce, I pre'tei'ably provide a tubular portion or collar 58 surroundingthis aperture, and desirably formed-integral with the metal of thecasing. This collar portion extends inward from the inner periphery ofthe casing rim 3 sufficiently so that its end projects be yond the layerof oil which is held distributed around the casing by centrifugal forcewhen the parts are being rotated at high speed.

In operation the spring 80, upon release of the clutch-lever by theoperative, moves the sleeve 8 lengthwise to the right, as seen in Fig.1, causing the clamping lever to exert through the short arms a verypowerful leverage to bring the friction plates 23, 2 together with thedesired pressure for transmitting the power of the engine to the shaft30, and thence to the automobile or other driven mechanism. My improvedform of the plates 23, with the slots to permit expansion of theiractive portions insures that the series of plates 23 it will alwaysremain in perfect flatwise engagement over their entire inner engagingportions, thus securing the most effective clutching action, and at thesame time greatly promoting longevity of the active parts. Thedurability and effective action of the clutch plates is also largelyenhanced by the action of the slots 55 in serving as oil distributers inthe man ner described.

As already intimated, I regard my invention in the partsset forth asbroadly new, and it is accordingly so defined in certain of the appendedclaims; I particularly wish it to be understood that I am not limited tothe illustrative form of clutch mechanism shown herein, nor to thespecific form in which the present improvements are embodied, except inthe particulars specified in the claims.

Having described my invention, what claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent is as follows:

.1. A clutch, comprising a plurality of a1- ternately arranged largerand smaller plate members concentrically mounted for frictional powertransmitting engagement, the larger members being in annular form andhaving spaced apart slots extending from its central opening outwardapproximately to the circumference of the smaller overlapping members.

9. A clutch, comprising a closed, rotatably mounted casing andcooperative clutch members housed therein, said casing having provisionfor introducing lubricant, consisting in an opening with a removableclosure and an inwardly extending collar formed around said opening forthe purpose stated.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED B. MORSE.

\Vitncsses:

PATRlCK J. MURPHY, I'IENRY A. PARRY.

